Two Desktop Issues MATE & XFCE

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tobias.richards@gmail.com
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Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2022 11:15 pm

Two Desktop Issues MATE & XFCE

Post by tobias.richards@gmail.com »

Issue #1: The MATE forums appear dead. How can I change *G* Applications to just the *G* icon?

Issue #2: I prefer XFCE, but the entire environment will freeze after a while. The ssh server still works. Anything running in the terminal (top) continues. The mouse cursor will move. The keyboard will seem dead, and while the mouse cursor moves, clicking on anything doesn't do anything.

NOTE #1: I am using an ancient (2009) iMac that has some sort of Nvidia graphics (I lost the "About This Mac" screenshot, but its maximum OS is El Capitan). I've spent days pouring over search results about getting Nvidia to work vice SCFV. No love. Even VESA doesn't work. Only SCFV.

NOTE #2: GhostBSD is the ONLY OS (other than El Capitan) that this iMac will accept. By "accept", I mean boot to anything other than a black screen via the installer media (no installer menu). For some reason, neither FreeBSD, Ubuntu (and unofficial releases like Xubuntu, etc), Ubuntu-server, OpenBSD, Debian, Slackware, Mandriva, CentOS, ad nauseum won't even get to any sort of screen for installation or live use. Major OS's that I've not tried: NetBSD, DragonflyBSD, Arch, and OpenSUSE. I've also not tried Gentoo, but nobody wants to fluck around with Gentoo.

Note #3: Broadcom can suck my wiener. I have to use a Netgear USB dongle for wifi. Again, like the others, this is an issue that I have spent DAYS messing around with. /boot/loader.conf can drink buttermilk from my ###. /etc/rc.conf can bite my man-boobs. No Broadcom. No Nvidia. No XFCE. I am afraid to attempt any other DE since I *just* got this thing stable after two weeks of hacking at it.
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ericbsd
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Re: Two Desktop Issues MATE & XFCE

Post by ericbsd »

tobias.richards@gmail.com wrote: Sun Jan 23, 2022 5:29 am Issue #1: The MATE forums appear dead. How can I change *G* Applications to just the *G* icon?
It is impossible to remove Applications, but it is possible to replace the menu. If you right-click on the menu, you can uncheck Look To Panel, right-click again on the menu and click - Remove From Panel it will remove it from the panel. After that, you can right-click at the start of the panel and click + Add To Panel. You can select Brisk Menu or Compact menu and click add. Note that Classic Menu is the default menu.

There is also Station Tweak in System > Preferences > Look and Feel. In the interface tab, you can select a panel layout.
tobias.richards@gmail.com wrote: Sun Jan 23, 2022 5:29 am Issue #2: I prefer XFCE, but the entire environment will freeze after a while. The ssh server still works. Anything running in the terminal (top) continues. The mouse cursor will move. The keyboard will seem dead, and while the mouse cursor moves, clicking on anything doesn't do anything.
I am unfamiliar with the XFCE version; I only deal with the official release. So I can have Neville look with you. If you still want to use XFCE.
tobias.richards@gmail.com wrote: Sun Jan 23, 2022 5:29 am NOTE #1: I am using an ancient (2009) iMac that has some sort of Nvidia graphics (I lost the "About This Mac" screenshot, but its maximum OS is El Capitan). I've spent days pouring over search results about getting Nvidia to work vice SCFV. No love. Even VESA doesn't work. Only SCFV.
Could you give me the output of the command below?

Code: Select all

pciconf -lv | grep -B 4 "VGA"
tobias.richards@gmail.com wrote: Sun Jan 23, 2022 5:29 am Note #3: Broadcom can suck my wiener. I have to use a Netgear USB dongle for wifi. Again, like the others, this is an issue that I have spent DAYS messing around with. /boot/loader.conf can drink buttermilk from my ###. /etc/rc.conf can bite my man-boobs. No Broadcom. No Nvidia. No XFCE. I am afraid to attempt any other DE since I *just* got this thing stable after two weeks of hacking at it.
Broadcom is not well supported.
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